Hanford's waste treatment plant commences first clean vitrification, a major step in nuclear waste storage

Richland Wash. — A huge step forward at Hanford's Waste Treatment Plant on Monday morning.

At the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant, the first batch of clean glass from one of two large melters at the plant.

The process is called vitrification, and will soon transform nuclear waste into a glass form which we're told is much safer for long-term storage.

The waste is mixed with glass-forming beads called frit, heated to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, and then poured into seven-foot-tall stainless steel containers for permanent storage.

We're told the melters used are the largest of their kind in the entire world.

Senator Maria Cantwell today was among those giving their congratulations on the success of this long-time process. She, says. "We now can begin processing millions of gallons of low-activity tank waste. This is a scientific and engineering feat, on par with what we accomplished at the b-reactor two generations ago."

You can find out more about the journey of the melters from the Department of Energy here.